Whether you are laminating a photograph or business cards, you will want to get the thickness right. Using laminating film that is too thick can make something hard to use, where having laminating film that is too thin can cause a document to bend and become ruined. So what thickness of laminating film should you use? Here are few tips that may help you out.

Laminating film comes in a variety of thicknesses with the most common sizes being 1.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10 mils. A mil is one thousandth of an inch and is the common measurement of laminating film in the United States.

A 1.5 mil thick laminating pouch is actually 3 mils thick. This is because the mil thickness of a pouch is only taking into account one side of the “pocket.” This means a 5-mil pouch is actually 10 mils laminated and a 10-mil pouch is 20 mils laminated. Many people don’t realize this and discover only later that when they needed 10 mils of film on their document that they really needed a 5 mil thick pouch.

Most people use a 1.5 mil pouch purely to give a document or photo a protective coat or a glossy shine. A pouch that thin really doesn’t provide much stability. Few people use a 10-mil thick pouch because it provides so much rigidity. A 10 mil thick pouch is difficult to bend or fold, make it less desirable for brochures and menus.

As previously mentioned, a laminated 10-mil pouch is 20 mils thick. Standard 20# copy paper is about 4 mils thick. This means a standard sheet of paper, laminated with a 10-mil pouch is about 24 mils thick all said and done. A credit card (like a Visa or MC) is 30 mils thick. That should help you get an idea on the thickness involved.

The most common sizes used by our customers are 3 and 5 mil thick film. One nice thing about laminating film is that it is cheap. If you aren’t sure about the thickness you want to use, you can buy a 3 and a 5 to see what works best. A package of 100 laminating sheets usually doesn’t cost more than a few dollars.

We are also often able to mail laminating pouch samples. Just call us up at 1-800-658-8788 and ask for some film samples. We won’t charge you for this. We are also able to offer some really nice discounts for bulk purchases.

You can find our entire selection of laminating film here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Are you in need of a reliable pouch laminator that has a little extra width to it? One model you may want to consider looking at is the Banner American PL135-4 pouch laminator. We have one of these on our showroom floor and I have had a chance to play around with it. This is my review.

Laminators are nice machines to have on hand. They can be used to protect and preserve a variety of documents, signs, photographs and other material. Banner American has been manufacturing laminators for well over a decade and have established themselves as a leader in laminating machines.

The PL135-4 has been around since before I started working at ABC Office over 10 years ago and continues to be one of the most popular laminators we sell. The PL135-4 is very similar to the standard PL135, but features two additional rollers for a total of four rollers. For those of you unfamiliar with pouch laminators, the more rollers you have the better.

The rollers help to ensure better heat distribution and apply even pressure over the surface over the lamination film. This produces cleaner, clearer and blemish-free results.

One huge plus this laminator has is the 13.5-inch throat that accepts a variety of material. I personally like the wider mouth, even for 8 ½ x 11 paper, because it prevents jams and makes it easier to position material. The PL135-4 also has two porches, one on the front and one on the back. These porches are essentially extended feed and exit surfaces that make feeding pouches easier.

The PL135-4 features the ability to keep the laminator warmed up without having the motor running. This is done by using two separate switches. One turns on the heat and the other turns on the motor. Having this ability helps to extend the life of the motor.

The laminator itself looks great. The black design and modern layout really fit in well with existing office furniture. It is light enough and safe enough to be used on almost any table or desktop.

This laminator doesn’t have to be used with just larger pouches. It can also be used to laminate multiple smaller pouches at once. I have used this laminator to laminate business cards. I simply used a larger carrier and placed several smaller pouches inside.

Overall the built quality is great. I would recommend this laminator for low to medium-volume use.

You can find the Banner American PL135-4 pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Good pouch laminators are hard to come by. Many of the cheap laminators do not produce good results, with a lot of the film producing bubbles, ripples and other defects. If you need a solid, high-quality laminator, you may want to consider the GBC HeatSeal H600Pro 13″ pouch laminator. This is my review.

The HeatSeal brand has almost become synonymous with pouch laminators. Once known as DocuSeal laminators, HeatSeal laminators are known for providing clean, clear and vivid results. The HeatSeal line is broken up into several different models, with the main difference typically being the width of the laminator.

The GBC HeatSeal H600Pro is a 13-inch wide pouch laminator that uses a total of four rollers for laminating photographs, document covers, signs and other material. The H600Pro is categorized as a commercial pouch laminator and is capable of using anywhere from 1 ½ to 10 mil thick laminating pouches.

The HeatSeal H600Pro is a direct replacement to the DocuSeal 3500 13″ pouch laminator. The quality is pretty much the same, with just a few minor design changes. Both laminators feature the ability to be used all day long without suffering any wear and tear.

A few things that I really like about the H600Pro is the variable speed control (up to 60-inches per minute), the warm-up time (2.5 to 8.5 minutes) and the ease-of-use. Simply put, the H600Pro is extremely easy to set up. This is due in large part to the handy digital control panel and the LCD readout.

The heated rollers and cooling fans help evenly distribute the heat, ensuring clean and clear results every time. If for any reason you end up with a misfeed, a reverse button makes it easy to back the pouch back out, cutting down on jams.

Overall I am impressed with the build quality and the simply control interface. I would definitely recommend the HeatSeal H600Pro for most laminating jobs.

You can find the GBC HeatSeal H600Pro 13″ pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Are you in need of a compact, durable and commercial-quality pouch laminator that can be used to laminate ID cards, business cards and other material? One pouch laminating machine you may want to consider using is the Banner American PL4A pouch laminator. I have used this laminator and this is my review.

Banner American, the people who make the PL4A, have been making laminators for years now. In fact, the actual design of the PL4A has been around since I started working for ABC Office 10 years ago. The design has been tried and tested. Customer complaints are nil.

The Banner American PL4A is a 3 ¾-inch wide pouch laminator primarily designed to laminate photo ID cards, luggage tags, business cards, photographs and other documents. Not only does the PL4A do this quickly, it does it well.

The PL4A utilizes a four roller system, which is really nice (and uncommon) for a laminator this small.  Four rollers, versus two, more evenly distributes heat and pressure. This means fewer bubbles, ripples and cloudy results.

The PL4A is capable of using laminating film up to 10 mils thick. This is the thickest film that we sell. This means you can laminate documents using 3, 5, 7 and 10 mil film.

The adjustable temperature, located on the bottom of the machine, makes it possible to get the perfect temperature for the item you are laminating. The PL4A is even available in a version called the PL4AT that includes a built in thermometer for precision.

Another nice feature about the PL4A is that it has separate motor and temperature controls. This means you can keep the PL4A fully warmed without having the motor running. Laminators that use one single switch for heat and motor often suffer premature motor issues.

One thing I would like to see in the PL4A is more digital controls. The PL4A is very analog with switches and dials. This is more of a wish than a complaint. Of course the PL4A is a solid machine and as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This is probably the case with the PL4A.

I have to say that the PL4A, after having used it for years, is probably my favorite pouch laminator in the four-inch range. It simply works well, very well.

You can find the Banner American PL4A pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

At ABC Office we are always looking for new ways to increase our product selection in an effort to give you more choices and better prices. We are happy to announce that today we are now able to offer you binding machines, paper shredders, laminators and paper folders from Intelli-Zone™.

Intelli-Zone™ offers these products under the Intelli-Bind™, Intelli-Lam™, Intelli-Shred™ and Intelli-Fold™ names. While these machines won’t be available to ship until September 2010, we are currently offering extremely low pre-order pricing. If you are able to lock in your order now, you will not only get a great price, but you will also be at the front of the line.

These are the new products offered by Intelli-Zone™:

• Intelli-Zone Comb Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Wire Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Coil Binding Machines
• Intelli-Zone Paper Shredders
• Intelli-Zone Pouch Laminators
• Intelli-Zone Folding Machines
  

We are excited about this new addition and expect the Intelli-Zone™ addition to be a big hit with our customers. Do you have questions about Intelli-Zone™ office equipment? Call us at 1-800-658-8788 or post your question in a comment.

Would you like to use a laminator but don’t have the funds available to purchase one at this time? One laminator you may want to look at is the Banner American QuickFinish PL100 pouch laminator. This laminator is packed with many high-end features, but won’t break the bank. This is my review.

First of all, the QuickFinish PL100 is made by Banner American, which is a good thing. Banner American has been making laminators for well over a decade. This includes both pouch and roll laminators. This should come as peach of mind. You know that not only is the PL100 made by a reputable manufacturer, but it will also be supported for years to come.

Once plugged into the wall, the Banner American PL100 only takes about three minutes to warm up. This is pretty fast for a laminator in this price range. The PL100 is capable of using both 3 and 5 mil laminating pouches.

The laminator is 10-inches wide and can be used to laminate documents up to 9.5-inches wide. This is really nice because it means you can laminate 8 ½ x 11 and legal-size documents without a problem.

While the PL100 isn’t designed for high-volume use, it can be used in the home or at the office for various laminating jobs throughout the day. You can use the PL100 to laminate important documents, business cards, report covers and more. Simply place your document in a pouch, put it in a carrier and run it through the laminator.

While this is an entry-level laminator, I have to say that it does a pretty good job at laminating. Results are clear and clean.

You can find the Banner American QuickFinish PL100 pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

Are you looking for a pouch laminator that is about nine-inches wide or perhaps big enough to laminate a document up to 8 ½ x 11-inches? There are a lot of models out there. One you may want to consider is the Akiles Pro-Lam 230 pouch laminator. Here is my review.

To start with, the Akiles Pro-Lam series of pouch laminators really don’t get the credit they deserve. They have been around for years, but often get passed up for “prettier” laminators from manufacturers like Fellowes. What it all comes down to is that the Akiles Pro-Lam laminators are solid machines, capable of daily, continuous use.

The Pro-Lam 230 (aka PL-230) weighs in at 20 pounds. That means that 20-pounds of heavy-duty metal have been packed into a smaller nine-inch pouch laminator (9.10-inches to be specific). That just goes to show you how heavy duty it is.  Even the gears in this laminator are made from steel when many comparable laminators use plastic or nylon gears.

The Pro-Lam 230 uses a total of four rollers, which ensures even pressure and heat distribution. The extruding aluminum heat plates also better distribute the heat. The end result is cleaner, clearer laminated material. This also helps cut down on cloudiness, bubbles and ripples in the film.

The Pro-Lam 230 uses electronic circuitry to adjust the operating temperatures. This means the temperature you set the laminator to is the temperature you get. The temperature varies from 230 to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. This laminator is hot enough and tough enough to easily handle 10-mil (4/6) lamination.

Although the manufacturer says you don’t have to use a carrier with the film, I still recommend it. Sometimes when the pouch gets heated up, excess glue will spill out the sides when run through the rollers. A carrier will help catch this glue and cut down on glue messes gumming up the rollers.

Overall I am very impressed with this laminator. Simply put, it is a workhorse. It is designed for commercial use throughout the day. You can find the Akiles Pro-Lam 230 pouch laminator here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

I had a customer ask me the other day how long it takes a laminator to warm up. This is a tough question to answer because of all the variables involved. It is almost like asking how long it takes a “car” to go from 0 to 60. It all depends on the make and model.

I have come up with a list of basic rough estimates with regards to laminator warm-up times.

Entry-level roll or pouch laminators will typically take anywhere from 8-15 minutes to warm up. This is because the heating elements are cheaper to make and simply aren’t as efficient.

Mid-level laminators typically warm up in 5-8 minutes, which isn’t bad at all. These laminators will typically handle most everything people need to laminate. Mid-level laminators can handle low to medium-volume laminating.

High-level laminators can often warm up in as little as 1-5 minutes, which is phenomenal. These laminators use high-efficiency and high-quality heating elements to get the job done. These laminators are typically designed for medium to high-volume laminating and can be used throughout the day.

Keep in mind that these are estimates and will not always be the case with your laminator. You can find our entire selection of laminating machines here. Happy laminating!

Are you in the market for a pouch laminator, but are having a tough time settling on any one model? Many of our customers have been taking a serious look at Fellowes’ line of pouch laminators. Fellowes is well known for their line of paper shredders, but is their line of pouch laminators any good? I will be reviewing the Fellowes Jupiter JL-125 pouch laminator.

To start with, the Jupiter JL-125 is one nice looking laminator. It features a rounded, glossy outer shell that is reminiscent of something you would find on a sci-fi spaceship. The design is very contemporary and fits in very well with most offices. It is extremely compact, takes up a fairly small footprint and can easily be stored in a cupboard or drawer.

Looks aren’t everything. The real question is “how well does it work?” To start with, the Jupiter JL-125 uses a four-roller system for laminating products. This is actually pretty nice. The general rule for pouch laminators is the more rollers the better the end result. Many two-roller systems require pouches to be run through twice. The four roller system cuts down on cloudy finishes and bubbles in the lamination.

Once plugged in, the Jupiter JL-125 takes about four-minutes to warm up. This is pretty good and is in line with what most comparable pouch laminators do. The laminator has a green indicator light and makes an audible sound when it is ready to be used. Because the Jupiter JL-125 uses special heat shielding technology, this laminator is easy to handle when fully warmed up.

The Jupiter JL-125 is similar to the Fellowes Saturn SL-125, but is designed for higher volume use and can handle thicker pouches. The JL-125 can handle laminating pouches up to 7 mils thick.

One thing I really like about the Jupiter JL-125 is the reverse mode. This makes it really easy to back out miss-fed pouches and re-position material. Although it claims not to require a carrier, I would still recommend using one. It also includes a laminating film starter kit.

Here are some great alternatives to the JL-125.

• Banner American PL12A Pouch Laminator
• Akiles UltraLam 250B Laminating Machine
• Tamerica TCC-330 Pouch Laminator

The Fellowes Jupiter JL-125 is a great all-purpose laminator for light to medium-volume use. You can find the Fellowes Jupiter JL-125 here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminating machines here.

Do you own the Jupiter JL-125? Let me know what you think about it by posting a comment. Have a great day!

Are you looking for a heavy-duty pouch laminator capable of commercial volume laminating? Finding a good pouch laminator that will hold up under rigourous daily use is tough. Have you considered the Tamerica C-Lam 3306 pouch laminator? If not, here are a few reasons why you may want to use it.

The Tamerica C-Lam 3306 pouch laminator is a heavy-duty laminator that features a total of six rollers. In case you didn’t know, the more rollers the better. Four of the rollers are heated and two are cold. The heated rollers help evenly distribute heat, while the cold rollers help remove heat and smooth things out. The end result is a great looking finish.

Built in sensors help adjust the temperature of the rollers, making sure the heat doesn’t get too hot or too cold. This helps cut down on the need to run things through the laminator twice and prevents costly damage from badly laminated material. This also eliminates cloudiness and bubbles in the film.

If you need a fast laminator, the C-Lam 3306 is one of the fastest in its class. With many laminators, you sacrifice quality when you speed up the process. This is not the case with the C-Lam.

In order to save energy, the Tamerica C-Lam has an auto shut-off feature. This means if you leave the laminator unattended for more than 30 minutes, it will automatically shut off. This isn’t only good for safety, but also saves you on electricity.

The control interface is very easy to use. It is completely digital and allows you to set it up for use with a variety of different lamination films. The Tamerica C-Lam can be used with 3, 5, 7 and 10 mil thick films without a problem. It can also be used with glossy and matte film. The temperature on the C-Lam can also be adjusted to accommodate different types of film.

One of my favorite features of the Tamerica C-Lam is the ability to get to the rollers. The outer shell is easy to remove. This allows access to the six rollers. The top three rollers are on a hinge an can be lifted to gain easy access to the inside of the laminator. This is great for removing jams and for cleaning purposes.

If you need a tough reliable pouch laminator, you may want to consider using the Tamerica C-Lam 3306 laminating machine found here. The C-Lam is also available in an eight-roller system called the C-Lam 3308 found here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminating machines here.